After losing five straight December games that practically knocked them out of the playoffs last season, the Miami Dolphins kicked off the season with a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Nevertheless, with their super blend of quarterback-receiver duo, the Dolphins soon found their cleat, which once again saw them drowning in Week 14 against the struggling Tennessee Titans.
The loss appeared to be double trouble, with injuries to Tyreek Hill and Connor Williams. The pile of nightmares also seemingly could not snatch the jolly mood of the team’s coach, Mike McDaniels, as he got embroiled in a hilarious encounter with Peyton Manning.
Mike McDaniels wins fans’ hearts with relatable text mishaps
Prior to the Dolphins’ Week 14 clash against the Titans, Peyton Manning made contact with Mike McDaniels. Manning, alongside his brother Eli, known for their alternate ‘Manningcast’ broadcast on Mondays, reached out to gain insights from the coach ahead of their coverage for the network.
Manning’s message to the coach was straightforward, asking for a brief 10-minute conversation on Saturday or Sunday to discuss the upcoming Monday night game. “Eli and I have your game. Short and sweet, hang up after 10 mins!” Manning requested.
In response to Manning’s inquiry, the Dolphins coach sent back an enthusiastic message. “Absolutely, you’re Payton Manning, man!” he replied, although he misspelled the NFL legend’s name.
The HC’s display of excitement at the unexpected contact garnered the attention of the NFL community. While the netizens aren’t sure if the Dolphins veteran unintentionally misspelled Peyton’s name or if he used it for humor, they had a good time on social media discussing how cool the coach is.
A netizen wrote,”Mike McDaniels is a national treasure.”
A person wrote,”He’s still the cool stoner kid that had the good connect for the party.”
During the ManningCast broadcast, Peyton recounted the exchange to Eli, while saying the coach’s mixed reaction and the misspelling of his name. Eli teasingly wondered if the coach had confused him with other famous NFL figures like Walter Payton or Sean Payton, saying, “[Did he] think you were Walter Payton or Sean Payton? Did he have the right Payton, you think?”
Despite the misspelling and playful banter, Manning affirmed that the conversation with Mike Mcdaniel was productive. Reflecting on past encounters during Manning’s free agency in 2012, they shared insights and memories, including Manning’s visit to Washington’s NFL team before ultimately joining the Denver Broncos.
Dolphins’ McDaniels finds silver lining in collapse against Titans
In the Week 14 showdown against the Tennessee Titans, the Dolphins found themselves on the precipice of victory after holding a commanding 14-point lead with a mere three minutes remaining. However, they later suffered a heartbreaking defeat, conceding a 27-28 loss that shattered their chance to secure a coveted 10th win of the season and solidify their lead in the AFC East. Despite having MVP frontrunners like Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa, the team has been displaced them from the top spot in the AFC standings.
While expressing his thoughts after the game, Mike McDaniel candidly acknowledged the team’s collective responsibility for the loss, saying “We all get to share the blame”, via NFL.com.
The HC said it was not an intentional setback but rather a culmination of factors, including defensive lapses leading to a swift gain in yards, struggling offensive drives, and the challenge of a shorter field position.
“I think everybody had their hand in it. I don’t think it was intentional. I don’t think people went through the motions during the week. It was a really, really good week of practice, I thought. But you had a lot of yards given up in a short amount of time. You had a shorter field position, and you had an offense that went three-and-out. That’s literally the only way that that could happen.”
However, the HC also addressed the need to prevent this loss from negatively impacting the team’s morale and future performances. He stressed the importance of viewing such defeats as opportunities for growth and unity. The coach urged his players to rise to the occasion and not let this setback snowball into a series of defeats.
Collectively I think the guys will rise to the occasion. I think you have to because it’s a humbling game, and you think that you’re a good football team, but then each and every week you have to prove that on the field and you can’t take anything for granted.”
Mike also highlighted the necessity for internal reflection and solidarity within the team while mentioning the significance of every individual in the locker room and coaching staff contributing collectively to bounce back from this adversity. His approach mainly centered on learning from the defeat and channeling it as a galvanizing force rather than allowing it to fracture team dynamics.
What do you think of Mike McDaniels’s mishaps? Tell us in the comments!
